NEWS RELEASES 2013-14

NEWS RELEASES 2013-14 :: JUNE 4, 2014

NORTH CAROLINA EDUCATORS REPORT ON WORKING CONDITIONS

The 2014 NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey (NC TWC) captured the voices of 93,178 (89%) teachers and administrators in North Carolina public schools, according to a preliminary report presented to the State Board of Education today. The NC TWC Survey, which was administered this past spring, provides each North Carolina school with a 40 percent or greater response rate (2,519 or 98% of all public schools) with its own data that becomes a part of the school's ongoing improvement planning process.

"The NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey results offer clear connections among student achievement and teacher retention and can be used as a roadmap for school improvement," said State Superintendent June Atkinson. "Feedback from this year's survey will continue to guide efforts to strengthen teaching and learning conditions across our state."

The NC TWC Survey is administered through a partnership among the New Teacher Center (NTC), a national nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the development of a high-quality teaching force, and the NCDPI. Following are highlights from results of the seventh biennial Survey:

On average, teaching conditions have remained stable since 2012.
However, changes in conditions, particularly the area of time, can be found across multiple schools and districts.

Declines in several resource-related areas suggest this as an area of North Carolina's teaching conditions that should be addressed.
Positive responses to
questions related to resources, such as instructional materials and professional development, have declined since 2012.

North Carolina educators indicate challenges related to the availability and utility of student assessments.

In comparison to 2012, more North Carolina educators report immediate plans to leave education.

The NC TWC Survey is designed to gather a variety of information from teachers, counselors, principals and other administrators who deal with teaching and learning conditions—including adequacy of facilities and resources; time; empowerment; school leadership; community support; student conduct; professional development; mentoring and induction services; and student learning—every day. The web-based survey is voluntary, anonymous and confidential. The 2014 Survey was the seventh statewide NC TWC Survey administered since 2002.

A number of survey-related resources and reports are being developed to support North Carolina educators and policymakers. These resources will included a series of tools for schools and districts to use in facilitating dialogue on teaching and learning conditions and tips for utilizing survey results in school improvement planning. These tools as well as more information about this year's survey as well as results from previous years are available at
NC Teacher Working Conditions.

About the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction:
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction provides leadership to 115 local public school districts and 148 charter schools serving over 1.5 million students in kindergarten through high school graduation. The agency is responsible for all aspects of the state's public school system and works under the direction of the North Carolina State Board of Education.

For more information:
NCDPI Communication and Information Division, 919.807.3450.